Australian police probe NRL 'match-fixing'

Police Wednesday set up a strike force to probe alleged match-fixing in Australia's scandal-prone National Rugby League with the sport's governing body saying anyone found guilty will be banned for life. Allegations of rigged games surfaced in June with reports that the Manly Sea Eagles' meetings with the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Parramatta Eels last year were under scrutiny. New South Wales police did not specify who was being investigated but said it expected its operation to be "protracted" with dozens of players, officials, and members of the public expected to be interviewed in coming months. "The NSW Police Force has launched an investigation following a review of information into reported cheating at gambling and match-fixing in the National Rugby League," it said. "Detectives from the State Crime Command's Organised Crime Squad have launched Strike Force Nuralda to investigate the matters and determine if any criminal offences have been committed." The news comes on the eve of the NRL's finals series with chief executive Todd Greenberg promising to come down hard on anyone found guilty, adding that police would get full assistance. "We are not going to pre-judge any person associated with the game while this process is under way," he said. "But I repeat my earlier warning that if any person is convicted of match-fixing they will face a life ban from any involvement in rugby league." The NRL has been hit by fixing claims before but the latest probe is another distraction for the hugely popular code, which earlier this year fined the Parramatta Eels Aus$1 million (US$750,000) for salary cap breaches. The NRL has also witnessed a litany of lewd and violent acts, drug abuse, racism and sexual assault allegations.